Agri-Pulse is your comprehensive weekly report of the latest in agricultural information. We take a holistic approach to covering current farming and rural news and we never miss a beat. The world of agriculture extends beyond what's growing in your field or living in your barn, and here at Agri-Pulse, we understand that. We make it our duty to inform you of the most up-to-date agricultural and rural policy decisions being made in Washington D.C. and examine how they will affect you – the farmer, the lobbyist, the government employee, the educator, the consultant and the concerned citizen. We investigate several aspects of the food, fuel, feed and fiber industries, looking at the economic, statistical and financial trends and evaluate how these changes will impact your business. And we provide insight on the people and players who are making things happen. Farm and rural policy is much more than just letters on a page and extend far beyond the lawmakers and regulators who write them in Washington. Agri-Pulse provides you with a weekly update of how these decisions will affect your productivity, your pocketbook, and your livelihood. Whether it be new developments in international trade, organic foods, farm credit and loan policies or climate change legislation, we keep you abreast of the information you need to stay on the cutting edge.

About Our Staff

Agri-Pulse is the most trusted farm and rural policy source in Washington, D.C., providing a balanced perspective on a wide variety of issues including the farm bill, nutrition, trade, food safety, environment, biotechnology, organic, conservation and crop insurance. Our team of editors - the largest group covering this industry in Washington, D.C. - provides breaking news and analysis on the latest regulatory and legislative topics impacting the profitability of farmers, ranchers, agribusinesses and the food industry. With a combined 60 years of experienced agricultural coverage on Capitol Hill, the Agri-Pulse editorial team provides accurate, in-depth reporting on the issues that concern you most. We understand agriculture and the key players, like none other!

Sara Wyant, President

Sara Wyant is President of Agri-Pulse Communications, Inc., a diversified communications firm with offices in Washington, D.C., and Camdenton, Missouri. As a veteran farm policy reporter, she is well recognized on Capitol Hill, as well as with farm and commodity associations across the country.

Her newsletter and website, Agri-Pulse, includes the latest updates on farm policy, commodity and conservation programs, trade, food safety, rural development, and environmental and regulatory programs.

In addition, Wyant publishes an early morning news summary, Daily Harvest, providing busy readers with a quick overview of the latest farm, food and rural policy news each weekday. She frequently speaks at farm and commodity associations around the country.

Wyant is an at-large representative on the 2014 National FFA Foundation Board of Trustees. She formerly served as chairwoman of the Farm Foundation's board of trustees and as past president of the American Agricultural Editor's Association.

Wyant has been awarded a producer communications award from the United Soybean Board, an Oscar in Agriculture award for excellence in agricultural reporting from the American Agricultural Editor's Association and a leadership award from Agriculture Future of America. In 2013, she was recognized for outstanding service to agriculture by the Missouri Farm Bureau.

Wyant gained first-hand knowledge of crop and livestock production while growing up on a farm near Marengo, Iowa, and is still involved with her family's farming operation. She and husband Allan Johnson, parents of sons Jason and Jordan, also own the farm where her husband's family originally established a homestead near Almont, N.D.

Daniel Enoch, Managing Editor

For the past 12 years Enoch has worked as an editor at Bloomberg News in the nation's capital, helping to supervise the news agency's award-winning coverage of agricultural and environmental issues as well as the major farm-commodity markets, including corn, wheat, soybeans, cattle and hogs.

Enoch previously worked for the Associated Press and as a reporter and editor for several daily newspapers including the Philadelphia Inquirer and Daily News. A native Philadelphian, Enoch studied English at St. Joseph's University before joining the U.S. Marine Corps where he served as an infantry officer during the Vietnam War.

He currently resides in Odenton, Maryland, about halfway between Washington and Baltimore, with his wife, Peta, and their two children, Adam and Geordie.

Philip Brasher, Senior Editor

Brasher has reported on food and agriculture policy for more than 15 years. He most recently served as editor of "CQ on Agriculture and Food" for CQ Roll Call, a unit of The Economist Group. Brasher also worked for The Associated Press, The Des Moines Register and Gannett. In 2009, his project funded by the Pulitzer Center on Crisis Reporting looked into prospects for biotechnology in Africa.

Brasher has served as a key reporter on award-winning projects examining the future of biofuels, the impact of climate change on agriculture and the environmental and economic effects of changing land ownership patterns.

A native of Texas, with a bachelor of journalism from The University of Texas at Austin, he is a member of the Society of Environmental Journalists and North American Agricultural Journalists.

Sarah Gonzalez, Associate Editor

An Elburn, Illinois native, Gonzalez is a journalism graduate from Iowa State University, where she earned cum laude honors. She wrote extensively for the Iowa State Daily, putting her minor in biology to work covering the university's science departments and developments in the plant sciences, meteorology, chemistry and physics fields. Gonzalez spent a year as the communications intern for Iowa State University Extension, where she wrote press releases and edited other external and internal communications. She also served as the Public Relations Director for the Iowa State chapter of the Public Relations Student Society of America. Additionally, she spent one year working in the Public Relations/Marketing Department of the Iowa State Daily, where she served as the editor of the Unions section.

Sarah has hit the ground running in Washington,
covering events on the Hill, government agencies, the White House, and at the
many association meetings across town. From her office inside USDA she has established trusting relationships with many of the key influencers impacting Ag and rural policy.

Spencer Chase, Associate Editor

A broadcast and news editorial journalism graduate of South Dakota State University, Chase is originally from a farm near Wolsey, South Dakota. He served as a summer intern with Agri-Pulse in 2013, covering agricultural policy issues on Capitol Hill, interviewing lawmakers for the "Meet the Lawmaker" series and assisting with the web site and social media.

Chase previously served as an intern at WNAX radio in Yankton, South Dakota, providing coverage of agricultural news and maintaining the "Ag News" section of the station's website and served as a media and public relations intern with the Sioux Falls Skyforce, the NBA D-League affiliate of the Miami HEAT. Chase also twice served as a newsroom crew intern at the National FFA convention, was the South Dakota State FFA treasurer and a student member of the National Association of Farm Broadcasting.

At SDSU, Spencer was a sportswriter for The Collegian, the independent campus newspaper, a student coach with the Jackrabbit football team and a member of FarmHouse Fraternity.

WHITNEY FORMAN-COOK, ASSOCIATE EDITOR

Whitney Forman-Cook came to Agri-Pulse after earning a Master of Public Administration degree from Syracuse University and a Master of Science degree from The State University of New York (SUNY) College of Environmental Science and Forestry in 2014. Her M.S. thesis examined local timber harvesting regulations – specifically, their effect on available timber supply and the ways they influence forester and forestland owner behavior. She previously consulted as a writer for the United Nations and various international and domestic non-profits on topics related to agriculture, conservation, and sustainable development.

As a Michigan native and Michigan State University alum (B.A. '11), Forman-Cook thoroughly enjoys spending time outdoors and cheering on the MSU Spartans. She currently resides in Washington, D.C. with her cat, Fox.

Cindy Zimmerman, Contributing Editor

Cindy is Vice President of ZimmComm New Media, a multi-media agricultural communications company based near Pensacola, Florida, which she founded with husband Chuck.

Cindy has been in agricultural communications since her senior year of college at the University of Florida majoring in broadcasting when she went to work for the radio and TV department at Florida Farm Bureau. She and her husband helped start what today is the Southeast AgNet with partner Gary Cooper. She was a regional vice president of the National Association of Farm Broadcasting and won the Oscar in Agriculture in 1991 for her coverage of the citrus canker outbreak in Florida.

Cindy and Chuck both worked for Brownfield Radio Network during the 1990’s and started ZimmComm New Media in 2005 with several on-line agricultural publications including AgWired.com; DomesticFuel.com; PrecisionPays.com; and WorldDairyDiary.com

ED MAIXNER, CONTRIBUTING EDITOR

Ed Maixner was editor of the Kiplinger Agricultural Letter for more than a decade before joining Agri-Pulse as a contributing editor. Previously, he led the Washington Bureau at Farm Progress Companies, served as an associate director for a nonprofit devoted to western regional issues, and served as a legislative assistant to former U.S. Senator Bryon Dorgan of North Dakota.

Maixner's career in journalism and ag policy span more than four decades.

A native of North Dakota, Maixner earned his bachelor of arts degree at North Dakota State University. He earned a master of arts in journalism at The Ohio State University, where he was awarded a Kiplinger Fellowship in Public Affairs Reporting

Maixner was awarded the Truth in Journalism Award from the American Corn Growers and the J.S. Russell Memorial Award from the North American Agricultural Journalists for agricultural reporting. In addition, he received a first place team story award from the American Agricultural Editors Association for coverage of what the 9-11 attacks would mean for American agriculture.

JEFF NALLEY, CONTRIBUTING EDITOR

Jeff Nalley is a 33-year veteran of radio and farm broadcasting.

He is a past president of the National Association of Farm Broadcasting (NAFB) and has received numerous awards for excellence in broadcast media from within the NAFB as well as other farm organizations.

Nalley has received distinguished service awards from Purdue University, the United Soybean Board, Kentucky Soybean Association, Kentucky Pork Producers, and the Kentucky Farm Bureau Federation.

Nalley was named the 2010 Farm Broadcaster of the Year by the National Association of Farm Broadcasting.

Nalley conducts weekly Open Mic audio interviews for Agri-Pulse. He also works with the Cromwell AG Network, which serves farmers in Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Missouri and Ohio with daily farm broadcasts.

JIM WEBSTER, CONTRIBUTING EDITOR

Jim Webster has been writing about and dabbling in agricultural
politics in Washington since the early days of the Nixon Administration. Since 1981, he has written or
published seven newsletters and written for several other publications.

His most recent venture, The Webster Agricultural Letter, was
acquired by Agri-Pulse Communications in 2007. He now writes primarily for Agri-Pulse
but also for the Agra Informa (U.K.) newsletters Agra Europe and Dairy Markets,
the on-line eDairy advisory service in Chicago and Agro Washington magazine,
and addresses farm and agribusiness groups.

Webster was assistant secretary of agriculture for
governmental and public affairs at USDA during the Carter Administration, chief
clerk of the Senate Agriculture Committee, agricultural legislative assistant
and press secretary for former U.S. Senator George McGovern of South Dakota,
and director of public relations for the American Public Power Association.

He's a native of Nebraska,
attended Creighton University in Omaha,
where he began working for the Associated Press in 1955. He subsequently was a reporter
and manager for United Press International and edited a newspapers and electric
cooperative publications in Nebraska, Wisconsin and South Dakota.
Jim and Marilyn now live in Arlington, Virginia.

Allan R. Johnson

Allan R. Johnson retired from the United States
Department of Agriculture in April 2009. He now provides strategic
consultation to Agri-Pulse. Mr. Johnson was appointed to serve as Deputy Under Secretary
for Rural Development on September 12, 2005. Previously, Johnson served as
Director of Legislative and Public Affairs at USDA Rural Development. He was
appointed to that position in 2003 by President Bush. During his tenure at USDA
Rural Development he lead the effort to Brand the Mission Area that had
formerly been three separate agencies with their own identity. In addition, a
major outreach effort was launched under his leadership to educate citizens in
rural America of the numerous important programs available from USDA Rural
Development. Before joining Rural Development, Johnson was active in
agricultural publishing and public affairs for over 30 years. He served as
President of Farm Progress Companies, the leading farm publisher in the US that
publishes magazines like the Dakota Farmer and Prairie Farmer as well
as produces the Farm Progress Show. The company grew from seven publications to
39 publications during his tenure as president. Farm Progress was owned by
American Broadcasting Company, The Walt Disney Company and Rural Press Limited,
Sydney, Australia. Johnson retired from Farm Progress companies in June 2000.

Jason Lutz - Marketing and Sales Associate

Jason is our friendly Marketing and Sales Assistant, focused on subscription and advertising sales. Jason attended Kishwaukee College in Northern Illinois, and has 10 years’ experience in the Hospitality industry. He's an active participant in the local community and was selected as a Camden County Young Leader in 2012. Jason and his wife, Danielle, love spending time on the Lake of The Ozarks and playing competitive softball.

Sandra (Sandi) Schmitt - Administrative Assistant

Sandi comes to Agri-Pulse with a 30-year background in Accounting and Customer Service. From the construction industry in her native Florida to the non-profit world of the Warsaw, Missouri Chamber of Commerce, Sandi has acquired a wide range of experience over the years. As you will quickly learn from talking to her, she is definitely a “people” person.

Sandi has dual degrees in Accounting and Christian Counseling and also is educated in the emerging field of web design and development. Along with her volunteer work as Chair of the Benton County (MO) Extension Council; a first responder on the Community Emergency Response Team and member of the Benton County Local Emergency Planning Committee Sandi loves to spend time in the outdoors and around the lake. Sandi has 3 grown children and lives in a log home in rural Edwards, Missouri with her two four-legged feline companions.

Ann Tracy Mueller, Editorial Coordinator

Ann Tracy Mueller served as co-editor of Ragan Communications' Health Care Communication News for two-and-a-half years after more than a dozen years in communications for an Illinois insurance and financial services organization with its roots in agriculture.
Mueller also has nearly 30 years of customer service and management experience in the grocery industry.

A native of rural west central Illinois, Mueller earned her bachelor's degree from Western Illinois University with a concentration in nonfiction writing.
She resides near Gravois Mills, Missouri, with her husband, Ron.

In this week’s Open Mic, Ambassador Darci Vetter, Chief Agriculture Negotiator with the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative, provides an update on the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPA) negotiations, as well as the ongoing Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP) talks. Vetter says the nation’s agriculture industry cannot afford to be isolated from the other ninety-five percent of the globe’s population or growth in its middle class. Support from farmers and ranchers will be crucial in advancing an ambitious trade agenda, she adds.